Missing You by John Waites was a favorite of my ex-girlfriend Isabelle, she really liked this song, and whenever I hear it, I immediately think of her, along with several other top hits of the time that Isabelle and I were going out togeter back in 1983 / 84 when I lived in the jumping East Village of 1980s New York.
Those were some great times. I was in my 20s and I thought I could conquer the World back then, and dating a top High Fashion Model who was with Ford Mosels and was also a House Model for Oscar de la Renta sure didn't hurt none. Yes the East Village abdd downtown New York was jumping then. This was the time of Madonna and the major art scene of Graffitti Artsist like, Keith Haring , Jean Michele Basquiat , Francesco Clemente , and otheer , who were among the hottest and biggest selling artist in the world at the time, including Andy Warhol who was still living and who took the young Basquit under his wings and even collaberated on a couple of projects together.
Yes, bacck then, I really felt as I could conquer the World. I was young and full of piss and vinegar as they say. I felt as though I could walk through brick walls. I woarked two jobs, I worked hard ad Played Hard, going out to the top Night Clubs of the day, like: Area, Danceteria, Carmelitas, Underchine, The Milk Bar, Palladium, all the hot bars, restuarants, and a lot of good private parties, a few of which were up at Isabelle 's apartment on 87th Street, sipping Champagne and eating Caviar which Isabelle could never get enough of, and she'd always bring back tins of the stuff from Petrossian ever time she did runway shows for the Pret di Port in Paris for the likes of designers Yves Saint Laurent , and Oscar de la Renta.
Wow, I started off talking about how this song by John Waite was one of Isabelle's favvorites, and I go off on a tagent on the 1980s, the East Village and the downtown New York art and party scene. Well they all do tie together you see. That's where Maddonna got started with Jellybean Benitez and others, dancing at Dancteria and Lucky Strike, private parties and what-not. She had her first Top 10 Hit with Holiday, although her first two singles Everybody and Burning Up did have pretty good sucess. Yes I was having quite a good time in the 80s, going out with girls, working, and playing with friends like my buddies Raoul, Drew, Jay, and my Buddy Bobby Martinez who was one of Madonna's famous Puerto Rican Boy Toys (I kid you not).
Well, back to some of the other music and Isabelle's favorite songs, like Hold Me Now by The Thompson Twins, TRUE by Spandau Ballet, Missing You and a slew of others. This is when MTV started out and Isabelle just loved that station. I remember spending whole nights with her drinking champagne and watching MTV as isabelle taped the videos on a VHS Recorder to make tapes of MTV Music Videos of Michael Jackson , David Bowie , The Police , and other artist to bring down to her friends and family in Caracas , Venezuela when she went for visits two times a year (her native country).
To be Continued ...
PIPER-HEIDSIECK
Whenever I see a bottle of PIPER HEIDSIECK CHAMPAGNE, it always makes me think of Isabelle and the time she called me up at 10 in the morning and asked me if I wanted to come over and if I could stop and get a bottle of Champagne along the way. "Ah the Good ol Days. Champagne and Caviar at 11 in The Morning," it's not a bad way to start the day.
Modeling Card of Isabelle Oduber
Caracas / New York Fashion Model
ISABELLE ODUBER on The RUNWAY
PARSONS SCHOOL of DESIGN
OSCAR de la RENTA
SPRING COLLECTION 1984
NEW YORK NY
Isabelle & Oscar
OSCAR d la RENTA
ISABELLE
Isabelle Oduber with Oscar d la Renta
Fall 1984 Collection
Runway Show Finale
Parsons School of Design
New York NY
La FINALE
OSCAR d la RENTA FALL COLLECTION 1984
NY NY
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Jean Michel Basquiat
1980s NEW YORK\
Downtown Art Scene
The WORLD
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KIETH HARING 'S Original RADIANT BABY
Spawned the ArtFourm article RADIANT CHILD by Rene Ricard
This article by Ricard made Graffiti Artis like Kenny Scharf, Keith Haring , and
Another of my ex-girlfriend Isabelle Oduber 's favorite songs, and one that always brings me back and makes me think of Isabelle instantly.
OSCAR de la RENTA
EME Magazine .. October 2014
I met Oscar de la Renta on November 5, 1985. At that time I was already in the last year of the race in Parsons and that particular day would be the presentation of his spring 1986 collection in the auditorium of 560 de la Séptima. Avenue in New York.
He had been selected along with other classmates to work in the backstage helping with the organization and dressing the models before their departure on the catwalk.
As soon as I arrived and he saw me he said "You speak Spanish and I want you to get dressed and help Isabell", referring to Isabel Oduber , Venezuelan and house muse and model. I could not believe it, so he took me to the rack where his suits hung. There were exactly eight, twice what the other models would carry, among which were the great international mannequins of the time, the same ones that the Valentino's and Saint Laurents wore in Paris. I remember in particular Dalma, Betty Lago, Kirat, Marpessa Hennink, Amalia Vairelli and Nubia, another Venezuelan who was Lagerfeld's muse in Chanel, among so many other famous models.
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